Rail-joint.



No. 766,710. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904. F. LIBSKE.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 23, 1904.

NO MODEL;

UNTTED STATES Patented August 2, 1904.

PATENT G ETGE.

JOHN J. MORIARTY, OF MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,710, dated August2, 1904.

Application filed To all 711720712, 7''!- m/rng concern:

Be it known that I. FRANK LIESKE, a citizen of the United States.residing at Marquette, in the county of Marquette and State of Michigan,have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which thefollowing is a specification. I

This invention relates to splice-bars or railroad-joints; and theprimary object of the same is to provide an organization of elements foreffectively holding the contiguous ends of rails and including means toeffectively lock the bolts or fastening devices inserted throughportions of the splice bar or joint and the railwebs and a stablebase-support for preventing the parts of the bar or joint and the railsfrom shifting on the tie in the event that the ordinary fasteningsbecome loosened.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts,which will be more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of portions ofrailroad-rails, showing the improved splice bar or joint applied theretoand arranged on ties. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the organization ofparts shown by Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section on theline 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of thechair-sections.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts in the several views.

The numerals 1 and 2 designate rails which are terminally fitted inoppositely-disposed chair-sections 3 and 4, each section having a base 5to extend under the base-flanges of the rails and an upwardly-inclinedinclosing flange 6, the said inclosing flanges when the chairsectionsare applied resting on the top portions of the opposite sides of thebase-flanges of the rails. The flanges 6 project upwardly from the outerportions of the bases 5 in planes at right angles, as at 7, to elevatethe flanges 6 sufficiently to bear upon the base-flanges of the rails orto form an inclosure for the adjacent extremities of said base-flanges.The

flange 6 of the chair-sections 7 has an upstanding fish-plate member 8integrally formed therewith and adapted to closely bear against tnuar23,1904. Serial No. 190,338. (No model.)

one side of the rail-webs and fit snugly under the adjacent lowerportions of the rail-heads, as clearly shown by Fig. 3, the flange 6having the fish-plate member 8 extending inwardly far enough to permitsaid member to closely contact with the rail-webs. The flange 6 of thesection 4 extends inwardly a materially less distance than the similarflange of the section 3 and has an integral upstanding nutlockingprojection 9, with a series of nut-recesses 10 opening outwardly throughthe upper edge thereof. The projection 9 is in the form of a verticalflange and is of less length than the flange 6, and in rear of the samean elongated slot 11 is formed in the flange 6 of the section 4, saidslot 11 being of a length eciual to the projection 9 and opening throughthe rear terminal edge of said flange 6.

Projecting u 'iwardly through the slot 11 is a fish-plate 12, hearing atits upper and lower edges, respectively, against the under side of theheads of the rails and the base-flanges of the latter, the saidfish-plate 12 being terminally engaged by the end walls of the slot 11.The opposite extremities of the flange 6 of the section 1 are projectedinwardly a sufficient distance to cause their inner edges to contactwith the webs of the rails, as clearly shown by Fig. 1, and by thisarrangement the fish-plate 12 will be positively held againstlongitudinal movement in relation to the rails. The outer edge of eachbase 5 beyond the point of jointure therewith of the flanges 6 isprovided with a securing-flange 13, having spike-slots 14 near theopposite ends. On opposite sides of the center of this securingflangeoutwardly-projecting stop-lugs 15 are located, and at the center is anoutwardlyopening slot 16 with beveled corners 17.

"hen the chair-sections are applied to the rail extremities, they engagetwo ties and are secured in transverse alinement by ordinary spikes, asshown by Fig. 1, the said spikes being driven through the spike-slots 11 in the flanges 13. the chair-section 3 being pushed inwardly in ahorizontal plane over the contiguous rail extremities, the fish-plate 12applied in position, and headed bolts 18 inserted through the fish-platemember 8 and fish-plate 12 and secured by nuts 19.

The chair-section 4 is pushed inwardly and the nutrecesses caused tocoincide with the nuts 19, the latter being flush with the outer surfaceof the projection 9 when the said section 4: is fully positioned. Whenboth chair-sections have been fully applied, the bases5 thereof willhave their inner opposing edges in close relation, as shown by Fig. 3.and both sections will be spiked to the ties on which they are disposed.As an effective auxiliary in preventing the chair-sections fromspreading, especially in view of the liability of the spikes to becomeloosened, coupling-bars are removably applied to the bases 5, the saidbars having their opposite ends struck up or otherwise formed withangular terminals 21 to fit over the securing-flanges 13. There are twoof these bars used, and each is applied by disposing it under the bases5 until the angularterminals coincide with the slots 16, and when inthis position the bar is pushed outwardly over the adjacent portion ofthe securing-flange until it abuts at opposite extremities against thestop-lugs 15, the beveled corners 17 facilitating such application. Eachbar is operated in like manner, and when the bars are removed they aredrawn toward the slots 16 and pushed downwardly. The distance betweenthe inner walls of the slots 16 and the inturned ends of the hookedterminals 21 is such that the said hooked terminals will freely passupwardly through the slots, tightly embracing the portions of theflanges 13 which they engage, and in addition to forming a materialobstruction to the outward movement of the chair-sections away from therails said coupling-bars reinforce the bases 5 under the baseflanges ofthe rails between the ties.

7 At any time desired the chair-sections may be removed when it isnecessary to replace worn rails, and the abutting ends of the latterwhen the chair-sections are in engagement therewith are prevented fromdepressing, and thus avoid injury to the rolling-stock, and particularlycar-wheels moving thereover as well as annoyance to the travelingpublic. The form of splice bar or coupling hereinbefore explained isalso adapted to be employed in other devices where strength anddurability are demanded, and the loosening effect of vibration isobviated.

To accommodate various applications, changes in the form, proportions,and minor details may be resorted to without departing from the spiritof the invention.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1.In a rail-joint, the combination with rails, of chair-sections embracingthe joint of said rails, each chair-section having a base, anupwardly-inclined inclosing flange and a reduced edge flange with acentral slot, and couplingbars having angular terminals movable throughthe slots of the opposite sections and plicable to the securing-flangesthrough the slots in the latter.

3. In arail-joint, the combination with rails, of chair-sectionsembracing the joint of the rails and having outer side edgesecuringflanges with central slots and stop projections at each side ofsaid slots, and coupling-bars having angular terminals applicable to theflanges through the slots and adapted to bear against the saidprojections.

i. In a rail-joint, the combination with rails, of chair-sectionsembracing the joint of the rails and having outer side edgesecuringflanges with central slots formed with beveled corners, andcoupling-bars having angular terminals applicable to, and removablethrough, the said slots.

5. In a joint of the class set forth, the combination with rails, ofchair-sections having inwardly-extending bases to embrace thebaseflanges of the rails and inclosing flanges rising from the outerportions of the bases and extending inwardly and upwardly over the saidbase-flanges of the rails, one inclosing flange having an upstandingfish-plate member and the other provided with a locking projection withnut-recesses therein and a slot, a fishplate extending through theinclosing flange having the slot therein, and headed securingboltspassed through the fish-plate member and fish-plate and having nutsthereon held in the recesses of the nut-locking projection.

6. In a joint of the class set forth, the combination with rails, ofchair-sections having inwardly-extending bases to embrace thebaseflanges of the rails and inclosing flanges rising from the outerportions of the bases and'extending inwardly and upwardly over the saidbase-flanges of the rails, one inclosing flange having an upstandingfish-plate member and the other provided with a locking projection withnut-recesses therein and a slot, a fishplate extending through theinclosing flange having the slot therein, headed bolts inserted throughthe said fish-plate member, the railwebs and the fish-plate and havingnuts seated in the recesses of the nut-locking projection, andcoupling-bars embracing the opposite lower side edge portions of thechair-sections and snugly bearing against the under sides of the basesof the chair-sections.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK LIESKE.

Witnesses:

JOHN J. MORIARTY, ALFRED WEST.

